Hindustani 2 Movie Review : Walks a tightrope between nostalgia and excess

Story: The follow-up to 1996’s Hindustani picks up decades after the original, with vigilante Senapathy (Kamal Haasan) resurfacing to aid a young group fighting corruption. But has India changed enough for his brand of justice?

Review: Nearly 30 years have passed, and the fight against corruption seems more relevant than ever as the amount of bribery now runs into crores. A new generation, led by Chitra (Siddharth) and his friends, uses their online platform to expose corrupt politicians and authorities. When two youngsters tragically succumb to corruption, they call upon the legendary Senapathy to return. The story is about how he punishes the corrupt and mobilises the youth while evading arrest by his old nemesis Inspector Krishnaswamy’s (Nedumudi Venu) son, Pramod (Bobby Simha).

This sequel dials up the action and vigilante justice. Senapathy, now a martial arts teacher in Taipei, takes on more outrageous villains in extravagant settings. A Gujarati businessman lives in a mansion with golden pillars (and even a toilet), while another magnate in Punjab practices floating in zero-gravity, since he wants to live on Mars by 2030. The film showcases Senapathy's mastery of Varmakalai (a Tamil traditional art that manipulates vital points to heal or harm a person) with overdramatic takedowns, incapacitating the enemy and even making them gallop like a horse or sing bhajans until they die.

Clocking in at three hours, the narrative constantly falls into familiar territory. Clichéd portrayals of corruption and over-the-top action sequences might test viewers' patience. There’s also an animated representation of the iconic common man caricature and dramatic dialogues such as Chitra’s fiance, Disha (Rakul Preet Singh), saying, "Election is not a change, but just an exchange."

At the outset, the narrative seems to steer in a direction where the youth takes charge, and people turn custodians of change. Besides corruption, it addresses wastage, vulgar display of wealth, and capitalism ruining the environment. However, things go the old route soon as Senapathy goes on a killing spree. While the film advocates social change at the grassroots level, Senapathy's methods remain a topic of debate. The movie acknowledges the impracticalities of his vigilante justice, as he becomes a controversial figure. Despite being idolised, he is the hero who falls from grace—a comment on people’s (especially social media) tendency to drop someone as readily as they lift him.

Kamal Haasan ably reprises the role of the vigilante and has fun with the character and his derring-do. An overstretched climax where he rides an automatic unicycle seems a bit of a stretch. Siddharth and Bobby Simha deliver strong supporting performances.

Hardcore fans of the first film might find initial appeal, but the heightened tone and length prove demanding and could test the patience of even dedicated viewers.